Enhanced e-Travel to use single QR code for customs, immigration, quarantine clearances

Air and sea travelers will no longer have to fill out multiple forms and pass through several checkpoints in traveling to and from the Philippines after several agencies teamed up to enhance the e-Travel system.

In a news release on Thursday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said it collaborated with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to introduce the enhanced e-Travel system on July 10, 2024.

Under the enhanced e-Travel system, a single QR code will be generated for each passenger to cover his/her BOC, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Quarantine, Migrant Workers, and Department of Tourism travel passes.

The BOC added that as part of enhancing the e-Travel system, it teamed up with the DICT and DMW to establish key features in the e-Travel pass, such as adding the Customs Baggage Declaration Form, Currency Declaration Form, and the Overseas Employment Certificate for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“This allows for a more seamless clearance process, minimizing wait times, and reducing the need for multiple forms and checkpoints,” the BOC said.

Another new feature of the e-Travel pass is the addition of the seaport or cruise forms, “which simplifies and accelerates the registration process at seaports and cruise terminals, significantly providing convenience for all travelers,” according to the BOC.

The DICT started the e-Travel system in 2022 — in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Quarantine, and Department of Tourism — to streamline travel processes for those entering and exiting the Philippines.

The BOC said the enhanced e-Travel system will benefit multiple stakeholders through simplified processes.

“It advances inter-agency coordination by enabling real-time data sharing and enhancing the monitoring of travel flows,” the BOC said.

“This improved data integration supports national security measures and aids in public health risk management by ensuring timely and accurate information for all relevant authorities,” it added. —Ted Cordero/KBK, GMA Integrated News